


Tails (Tales) of Love

by PastelNekomata



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, Nekomata - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26226589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelNekomata/pseuds/PastelNekomata
Summary: Love is many things, it comes in all shapes and sizes, and can be felt in many ways through friendship, familial bonds, and sometimes through interactions with someone you have met...and gotten to know over time. Love can be taking a risk and maybe at times almost feeling dangerous... Love can be terrifying, but it can also be moving... Love can also be the hardest thing in letting go...With his guardian angel Maria by his side, Shadow the Hedgehog learns more about the bonds he has formed, and is reminded there is more than one meaning to the word love.
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	Tails (Tales) of Love

****

She hadn’t expected him to show up, coming in like a bolt of lightning and a streak of black and red through the air. When that robot had crashed into her secret garden, Alexis the Nekomata had instantly gone to cover the chao she took care of, her body a shield to what she considered her students, her children… and her responsibility. As she scrambled to gather the ten crying chao, the pastel nekomata looked over her shoulder to see a metal brute come up behind her; its massive hand raised over its head, and its single eye narrowed in on her. Instantly the pastel pink and lavender fur on Alexis’ body stood on end, her ears laid back against her skull, and her cornflower eyes dilated in pure terror. _THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!!_ Her heart thudding violently in her chest, so much so that Alexis feared her pulsating organ coming up and out of her throat. As she shook that thought away, Alexis instantly ducked her head and hugged her chao to her body; bracing for pain. Yet the crash of metal against her body never came, and during that moment was when she heard a whoosh in the air. As her left ear perked up, Alexis hesitantly peeked over her shoulder and gasped. Holding onto the giant hand of the robot was a black hedgehog! 

While he was not an entirely black hedgehog, Alexis noticed red streaks as if painted along the tops of his black quills; there was also a strip of red that started off as a point near his elbow, which the marking then then widened out on his arms, and then vanished behind a pair of black, red and white gloves; completing the look was also shiny gold bangle clamped tight around each wrist. He also had the same red streak shoot down the outer side of his legs, which was then covered up by his shoes… Shoes, Alexis hadn’t seen the likes of before. As she took in her mysterious savior’s appearance, the nekomata then fuzzed up again when she heard the hedgehog suddenly snap at her. 

“YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!” 

It took her a second to understand what he had yelled at her, as Alexis had also heard the metal titan release a low, but audile groan. “LOOK OUT!” She cried out, watching as the second arm came smashing down on the hedgehog with a horrendous- _THUD!_

As the split-tailed cat cried out, she felt her body knocked off balance from the tremor created by the robot, which in turn caused the nekomata to suddenly pitch forward. Quickly, the pastel Mobian slammed her hands down to the grass to catch herself. As she was already on her knees, the nekomata gave a hard exhale, thankful that her fall wouldn’t have been too far to the ground, and that she hadn’t landed on her chao. Still the quaking of the earth beneath her lavender fingers took Alexis by surprise and made her heart race. As the chao all cried underneath her, Alexis then peeked over her shoulder watching the dust of the earth settle back to the ground, along with chunks of the falling dirt pelting the colorful cat and her chao. Glancing back down to her young ones, the cat gave the chao gentle nudges, not wanting to frighten them with force when already so much was going on around them. 

“You need to leave right now!” Alexis urged the chao, panic setting in her soft voice as she looked over her shoulder again. Another loud whine reaching her ears…. She could make out the robot obscured by the dirt starting to move again. As she turned her gaze back down at the Chao, tears brimmed her eyes, catching on her long black lashes. “Please go!! It isn’t safe!” 

Instantly the chao did as they were told by their pastel caregiver, some flew off, while others ran away to hide. Where they would go Alexis hadn’t a clue, but it was better they get away from here. Once she saw the chao vanish past the shrubs and trees, Alexis scrambled to her feet, planning to make her own getaway now. Without looking back, she took off in another direction, hoping that the robot wouldn’t follow the chao, yet as she ran Alexis couldn’t help but think of that black and red hedgehog that had saved her and her ten students…. As she turned her gaze back over her shoulder, Alexis’ hackles instantly rose back up as she saw the robot face towards her. It was on its feet, moving again…and it was coming after her. Even though she was running as fast as her feet could carry her, Alexis watched in what felt like slow motion… as the robot rose to its feet, and then lifted its right arm. Without any sort of warning the robot’s fist jettisoned from the machine's wrist, its knuckles suddenly rocketing towards her before colliding into the ground right behind her feet. 

Thrown into the air by the sudden destruction of earth behind and beneath her very feet took the nekomata by disbelief. The force of the metal fist hitting the terrain at such a sudden speed caused a scream to escape the cat’s lavender lips as she felt her body tumble in midair. When she braced for impact with the hard earth, Alexis again heard that whoosh, and before she could anticipate feeling the grass and dirt cushion her; Alexis was shocked to feel arms wrap around her. The sudden warmth took her by surprise, and she felt…unexpectedly light, and wait was that her fruit tree whizzing by? It was then that it dawned on the pastel nekomata she was being carried. As her blue eyes looked up, she found herself gazing up at the hedgehog again, and this time…she could really look at this hero. 

His expression was stern looking, his lips pulled into that of a straight line with a slight frown at end, and his gaze was focused on the path ahead; so Alexis couldn’t stare at those crimson eyes again... Hard crimson eyes that had pierced into her soft blue eyes when he had yelled at her to escape. Yet as she was carried off, the nekomata felt her heart skip a beat. She had read so many tales of knights fighting beasts to save the damsel… of heroes saving innocent bystanders… of good prevailing over evil… yet for her to experience this up close, well she hadn’t anticipated it. However, those thoughts of heroes saving the day vanished from the nekomata’s mind when the robot fired its second fist at them. 

“Dammit!” Cursed the Hedgehog as he zigzagged away from the rocket-punch within the blink of the eye. 

A squeak was all that escaped past Alexis’ lips when she felt the hedgehog suddenly give another sharp turn, and for a second the nekomata wasn’t sure if what she saw was real… were those rockets on the bottom of his shoes kicking up dirt? The pastel cat could only blink, her eyes then looking at the hedgehog again. Just who was he… 

_CLANK!!!_

As the pair simultaneously looked back over their shoulders, both the cat and the hedgehog’s eyes widened as they watched as the first fist that had originally rocketed towards the nekomata suddenly return to the robot’s body. Not even ten seconds later the duo watched as a chain connecting the second fist to the robot was reeled back in. With both fists attached back to its body, the metal titan then took aim at the nekomata and the hedgehog, firing its left fist. As if expecting the attack, the hedgehog quickly dodged the assault, but the robot appeared to anticipate such a response, and fired his second fist, which crashed hard into the side of the hedgehog’s body. 

A roar of pain flew from the hedgehog’s lip as he was knocked off his feet, causing him and the pastel cat to violently crash to the ground. As soon as her body collided against the hard dirt and soft grass, Alexis heard and felt a whoosh in her own body, and she knew she had the wind knocked out of her. All Alexis could then do was lie prone, sprawled out on the earth in the cool grass…staring off into the distance. As she struggled to breathe, the pastel cat weakly glanced up to look at the black and red hedgehog, who was but two feet away from her. He was hissing as he arched his back, which gave an audible crack, and as he rested his hand on his stomach, the hedgehog then pushed himself to his feet. 

“You’re going to regret that.” Was all the hedgehog said between heavy deep breaths, and then he suddenly vanished before their very eyes. 

Alexis blinked, what just happened? Where had he gone? Even the robot seemed to be confused! With its huge eye scanning the location, as if searching for the hedgehog, the robot then slowly turned its attention back onto Alexis, still on the ground. When her cornflower eyes noticed the robot take a step towards her, the nekomata felt her blood run cold… it was zoning in on her again. She needed to run. If it was an adrenaline rush, or the survival instincts that kicked in, Alexis felt air suddenly enter her lungs, stinging her insides as she took another deep inhale of the air; and instantly the nekomata started to scramble to her feet. When both her feet were flat on the ground, that was when the hedgehog suddenly reappeared, like magic over the machine’s head. 

“RAAAH!” As the hedgehog let out another roar, he then suddenly slammed the heel of his rocket shoe against the top of the robot’s cranium, causing the metal to dent. With an extra boost from the rockets on the bottom of his boot, the hedgehog was then able to break open the machine’s head with a loud crack and tear of metal, as sparks went flying. 

With its head crushed in and shattered to pieces, the robot’s servos seemed to lock up, its body went rigid before toppling over, and crashing into the earth. When the robot collapsed to the ground, another tremble of the earth once again knocked Alexis off balance and to the ground as she sat just a few steps away from the fallen robot. As for the hedgehog, he landed easily on his feet right between the huge legs of the automaton. That was it…. The danger was gone. 

As Alexis gawked at the hedgehog in disbelief, her mind instantly replayed that axe-kick he had landed on the robot’s skull. The rockets in his shoes boosting the strength of the blow as it cracked the machine’s cranium in a matter of seconds. All the nekomata could do was stare incredulously at what she had witnessed. Slowly rising to her feet, Alexis started to take a step towards the hedgehog, but when she heard the collective cries of “CHAO!” her blue eyes went to look behind her as she was immediately swarmed by her ten blue children, knocking her back onto her bottom. 

“Oh, thank goodness! You’re all safe!” As Alexis hugged the Chao closely with her arms and tails, the pastel cat smiled happily to see that all of the Chao had all gotten out of harm’s way without a single scratch on them. Scratches… as Alexis looked back over her shoulder, her soft cornflower gaze instantly came in contact with those hard and narrowed red eyes. Her heart skipped a beat again, and Alexis’ cheeks flushed a little. As she loosened her embrace on the chao, Alexis rose back up, smiling at the hedgehog as she turned to face him properly. “Thank you for saving me and my chao.” She then replied, gesturing to the cluster of chao with her hand. 

Staring at the cat, the hedgehog just looked at her, and then to the ten chao peeking around the nekomata’s pastel pink legs; “It was nothing…” He then replied, averting his gaze. 

It was then that Alexis noticed the hedgehog was holding his side, “You’re hurt!” Of course, she knew he was hurt, the hedgehog had taken two hits from the robot, but what Alexis was unsure of was how long the two could have been possibly fighting…. Before they crashed into her garden. As she looked more intently at the hedgehog’s hand holding his side, Alexis’ eyes instantly noticed the stain of blood on the hedgehog’s white gloves. “Let me help you!” As Alexis moved closer, the hedgehog held up his other hand to stop her. 

“I’m fine.” 

“You’re bleeding! Please let me take care of your wounds!” 

As the hedgehog simply eyed the split-tailed cat for a moment, his serious gaze never changed for a second. “I’m fine.” He repeated as he started to limp off. 

Before Alexis could interject anything else, her hands flew to her mouth when she saw the red and black hedgehog pitch forward, then suddenly collapse to the ground with a loud -WHUMP! Not only was Alexis’ fur fuzzed up, but her rose-pink hair practically stood on end from what just occurred in the blink of an eye. 

“Chao? Chao, chao!” Cried one of the chao from behind the nekomata’s leg. 

Without a moment’s hesitation, Alexis hurried to the crumpled hedgehog’s side and lifted his left arm over her shoulder. She struggled slightly, not used to lifting anyone before aside from her chao, but as Alexis held onto the hedgehog’s arm, and gripped his waist, her tails went to help support the fallen hero’s weight by gently curling around him. 

“Chao.” 

“Ch-Chao!” 

As Alexis’ fluffy pink ears perked up, she watched as five of the ten chao flew up to her and the hedgehog… no doubt wanting to help move the champion who had saved them from the menacing machine. Smiling at her chao children, Alexis gave a small nod of her head. “Thank you, everyone.” She muttered softly, beaming at her students. 

With the assistance of her chao, Alexis was then able to safely carry this heroic hedgehog to her house, which was not too far from the garden. Where Alexis would look after the hedgehog, making sure that he was taken care of, and his wounds tended to. For the bravery she had seen today, needed to be rewarded with the best gold of all… kindness. 

♦~♦~♦

After she had managed to get the hedgehog to her house with the assistance of her ten chao, Alexis stared worriedly down at the passed out Mobian on her bed for a minute before deciding to get to work. Gingerly, the Nekomata removed the hedgehog’s shoes from his feet, and placed the rocket sneakers on the ground by the bed; which her chao had to instantly investigate. Looking the wound over and the bloody glove, Alexis then got up to collect her first-aid bag from her bathroom. When she returned, Alexis went straight to work on tending and bandaging up the hedgehog’s side and taking the time to carefully inspect the hero for any other injuries he might have sustained in the fight. She had noticed a cut on his brow which was obscured by the crimson marking beneath his brow bone and close to his black eyelid. Then there was a gash on his arm, blood matting his dark fur too… all in which Alexis instantly tended to with utmost care. Making sure that she carefully cleaned the wounds, disinfected them, and then bandaged the injuries up one right after the other. 

Once done with the first-aid, Alexis then sat back down in her chair by the bed to catch her breath. “Phew…” Was all the cat could sigh, her ears drooping to her rose-pink hair, and her head hanging low, almost to the point her head was in her lap. She was exhausted and sore, but her tiredness couldn’t compare to the unconscious hedgehog in front of her. Gently, pulling some of her rose-pink hair over her slender shoulder, the Nekomata gazed down at the sleeping hedgehog. She watched his chest slowly rise and fall with each slow and deep breath he took. His expression peaceful as he rested…. Such a handsome hedgehog. 

Blushing at the sudden thought that had crossed her mind, Alexis instantly rose to her feet. _‘Now is not the time for such thoughts!’_ Alexis exclaimed inside of her head, before removing the blood and dirt stained gloves from the hedgehog’s hands ever so gently. She had to make sure that those got washed and tended to as well. 

As the chao were torn between watching the sleeping hedgehog and the sudden scurrying of their caregiver, the ten blue babes toddled or flew after Alexis down the hall and into the kitchen. Perching on chairs or sitting on the table as she went to clean the gloves in her sink with some warm water and her clothes cleaning soap. Some of the chao then flew over to watch as the Nekomata washed the gloves carefully, her blue eyes focused on the task at hand. Once clean, she then hung the gloves up to dry over her sink, that way water wouldn’t spatter over her countertop. 

While she dried off her lavender hands, the split-tailed cat looked at the company of chao she had in her kitchen with a smile, before she suddenly gave a small gasp. “I forgot about snack time! You all must be hungry!” As she hurried to her icebox, the cat produced some of her chilled fruit, instantly setting to work on slicing up the fruit, and arranging it on two of her biggest dinner plates. As she brought the plates of fruit over to the chao, the blue creatures gave calls and chirps of delight before digging into the assortments of berries and fruit given to them by their caregiver. 

Smiling at the chao as they happily dined on their snack, Alexis walked over to her bookshelf in her living room, which was right next to the kitchen, thankfully, that way she could keep an eye on her students. As she browsed her collection, the nekomata produced a book and walked back to the kitchen to sit down and read to the chao. As she tenderly read aloud the fairytale, the chao nibbled on their snack, and those that were done eating settled down for a nap on one of the cushions in the living room, that way they could still hear the story being recited. As Alexis read out loud to her students, her voice gently carried down the hall, and into her bedroom where the resting hedgehog heard her read. While he was indeed asleep, his ears still picked up on the cat, and the story being told…it sounded like something Maria had read to him once before…. It brought him peace… hearing whoever it was he heard reciting, and a part of him didn’t want to hear the story end… not when he felt so relaxed. 

♦~♦~♦ 

He dreamt about her, Maria… he could still hear her soft voice as she read to him, the turning of the pages in the book… the sensation of her fingers gently stroking his forehead, following the path of the red streak atop his forehead and down one of his quills. She was always so tender with him, so warm…. When was the last time he thought of Maria, with her tender touches, her warm embraces and the sound of her voice? It had been too long. Normally, Shadow didn’t have dreams…and If he did, they were nightmares, all ending the same… Fear, pain…regret, and sorrow. Yes, he could talk about his nightmares, his fears, but he didn’t… putting down that barrier he had was still so hard. True he could smile with his comrades, but it could never compare to Maria and the ease he felt with her. Moving on from that pain he had experienced was still so hard… and yet he’d continue to make sure Maria’s dream came true. He’d do it for her. 

_“Shadow…”_ Cooed Maria’s voice in his head. 

Shadow didn’t want to open his eyes, fearing that if he did… he’d lose this dream, and never be able to come back to it again… 

_“Shadow…”_ She repeated his name, a tender brush along his brow. 

He could swear he heard the smile in Maria’s voice, she always had the sweetest smile. 

_“Shadow… it’s time to get up now.”_ Maria’s voice whispered now, her finger brushing along the curve of his nose, and then… 

His eyes opened. Staring up at the ceiling, Shadow gave a low groan as he closed his eyes again for a moment, before opening them a second time. The room he was in was dim, but the faint glow of the rising sun peeked through the closed curtains, and casted a small amount of light in the room he rested in. As Shadow looked at the white curtains, his eyes then roamed over the small bedroom, taking everything in; there was a wooden dresser that almost touched the ceiling of the room, next to it a small wooden vanity with a hairbrush, a few small glass bottles resting on the flat top, and a small box in front of the mirror. Not too far from the vanity and dresser was a small bookshelf also made of the same wood as the vanity and dresser, filled entirely with books of all sizes…a reader no doubt. Slowly sitting up in the bed, Shadow’s eyes then went to the white sheet resting on his body, and that’s when he heard it…the sound of soft breathing. Blinking, Shadow then looked over the side of the bed, and that’s where he saw her…on the ground, asleep with a soft gray blanket over her curled-up body. It was that strange pastel cat from the garden… 

Shadow could only stare at the cat curiously before looking around the room again. Was this her home? As he shifted in the bed the hedgehog gave a small hiss and held his side, looking at his ribs, that was when Shadow noticed the bandages wound around his body. 

You’re finally up…” A soft voice then spoke. 

Shadow blinked before looking back down over the side of the bed, and glancing at the sleeping cat who was now awake. As she slowly sat up, the cat tiredly rubbed at her eyes with the back of her lavender furred hand her back and shoulders stretching a bit as she then gave a shudder. The wooden floor could not have been comfortable. 

“How are you feeling?” The cat then inquired with a tilt of her head as she slowly rose to her pastel pink feet. 

“I’m…. alright…” Shadow then replied as he slowly loosened his hold on the bandage around his body, his eyes moving from the cat’s face to the two split tails that emerged from behind her short white sleeveless dress… so he hadn’t seen double the first time he saw her, she really did have two tails. 

As if she knew where his eyes traveled, Alexis’ pastel pink and lavender tip spilt tails quivered and curled behind her petite frame. “Yes, they are real… and yes, there are two of them.” The Nekomata said with a giggle as she watched the Hedgehog then avert his gaze. Smiling softly now, the pastel cat walked over to the bed, inspecting the bandages now, which caused the hedgehog to make a small noise. “I’m just making sure blood didn’t soak through the bandages.” She stated, her blue gaze moving up to glance into the hedgehog’s crimson eyes. 

Shadow didn’t say anything, he wanted to, but with this cat so close and in his personal space, he didn’t know what to do… not when he was so used to intimidating people, this strange cat didn’t seem phased. 

“Thank you again for saving my chao and I….” The cat added softly, another tender smile was painted on her lavender lips, and the whiskers near her nose seemed to happily perk up around the lavender fur around her muzzle. 

“It was nothing… I was already fighting with the robot before it crashed in the area you were in.” Shadow replied and left it at that. 

“Oh…” The cat blinked at first, but then tossed some of her rose-pink hair behind her shoulder. “May I ask for your name… so that I may thank you properly?” 

It was Shadow’s turn to blink now as he glanced back down at the cat curiously. Why did she care for his name? Yet, he could still hear Maria’s voice in the back of his mind, reminding him that it was always polite to introduce oneself; and he recalled Maria lifting her blue dress into a curtsy as she smiled at him. While Shadow did not feel the need to bow with bandages wrapped around his side, the hedgehog closed his eyes. “My name is Shadow…Shadow the Hedgehog.” As his eyes then opened, Shadow then noticed that the cat’s cornflower gaze never looked away… he had never been stared at so intently, and it made Shadow turn his attention to his bandaged hand. 

“Well, I appreciate you very much Shadow... thank you for saving me and my chao… ” The cat then replied as she slowly rose to her feet. “By the way…. My name is Alexis.” As the pastel cat said those final words, she lifted the corner of her white dress, and nodded her head. 

Did she just curtsy? Or at least it was a partial one… the gesture struck Shadow as surprising, but he didn’t utter a word, nor show that the display caught his attention… his eyes calm and his expression neutral… yet his mind was racing. Thinking of the fight, of Maria… and that dream of her, it was then that Shadow then realized the cat had asked him a question. “W-wha?” Was all that had escaped his lips, as he blinked, trying to return his attention to the pastel feline. 

Looking at Shadow worriedly, Alexis gave a soft frown; “I was just asking if you were hungry…I can fix you something to eat…. But for now, please rest…. I’m sure you’re still hurting after the fight.” When Alexis reached out to touch Shadow’s shoulder, she gasped when he suddenly moved her hand back. 

“I’m fine…” 

There it was again… “I’m fine” when clearly there was something more going on. Still, Alexis would respect the hedgehog’s boundaries, and she nodded her head. “Alright Shadow, but if you need anything at all, please let me know…but for now, please rest.” As the nekomata stepped back, the cat gathered her blanket and pillow from the floor, looking back at the hedgehog she smiled, “I’ll be close by if you need me.” She added before vanishing from the room. 

Watching the split-tailed cat leave, Shadow gave a drawn-out exhale as he settled back down into the bed. His head throbbed and his body ached… everything was just happening too fast for him to understand, and that was saying something when it came to speed…. Yet that dream of Maria plagued his mind. How long had it been since he had such a wonderful dream? Then he felt it… something welling up and then he blinked, and his vision became blurry. Holding his palm to his eyes, Shadow felt the tears spill down past his eyes and to the pillow his head rested upon. He couldn’t stop, even if he wanted to more teardrops slid down his fur as the hedgehog silently cried. Then he heard something, something that made his ears perk. 

“Good morning everyone… did you sleep well?” 

“Chao!! CH-CHAO!!” 

“Chaaaaaooooo….” 

“Yes, yes I know last night wasn’t the usual bed…but I hope you got some rest!” 

There was another chorus of responses coming from down the hall, that Shadow couldn’t help but turn his attention to the doorway and the open door. 

“Now, now everyone…I know there has been a lot of excitement since yesterday, but we need to keep our voices down…. Our guest needs more rest. So please don’t bother him…I know you all would love to thank him too, but that will have to wait for when he feels better…” 

As Shadow listened to the colorful cat named Alexis talk to the cluster of chao, his body began to relax…distracting him from his thoughts… from the tears that nearly consumed him in an ocean of sadness… it was then that he then focused on the female Mobian’s voice again, and he heard her reading something… the more he tried to focus on the words, the more Shadow felt his body began to ease into the plush mattress. His eyes slowly closed, and Shadow allowed a wave of comfort to blanket over him…. The story once again reminded him of something Maria had read to him…and he couldn’t help but hope… that the story would take him back to his dream… where he could see and hear Maria once again.

**Author's Note:**

> Man... my younger sis was adamant I share this story, so here it is, the first chapter!!!  
> While the story is still in the works and I am fleshing out so many new characters, I have been having fun working on this story (when I have the free-time), as I haven't written any fanfiction in a while like this... aside from the one-shots with Maria and Baby Shadow cause I love those two so much. There is so much I have planned for this story, so I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. 
> 
> I thank you to those who took the time to read this, I appreciate it.


End file.
